J. A. Lambie.
A comparatively short career had Mr. Lambie on Hampden Park, but it was fraught with much distinction. He was a grand forward among a fine division, and scored a lot of goals for the Queen's Park. He was, indeed, at it again in this match, and, as I have already said in the introduction, took one more for the black and white stripes. When nearing the keeper, if he were fortunate enough to pass the backs, he generally looked about for one of his companions to follow up, and was quite an adept at the "screw-kick." Lambie appeared against England in 1888, and is now an active member of the Corinthians.
The Association International of 1887.
As the International of 1887 is, so to speak, a thing of yesterday, I have only introduced it here for two reasons. The first of these is to give me an opportunity of bringing new faces into my reminiscences, and shortly criticising their styles of play, and the second to show you how the admittedly best eleven sent out by England in all her matches with Scotland were vanquished on their own soil by three goals to two. The event came off at Blackburn in presence of some 10,000 spectators—a much larger crowd than ever appeared in London to see the International. The weather was dry overhead during the early stages of the tussle, but a heavy shower of hail fell later on, and this, added to a mud-covered ground, made matters anything but pleasant. The Scotchmen were the first to score, which they did through Mr. M'Call against the wind, half-an-hour from the start; but the Englishmen soon bore down on the Scottish lines, and Mr. Lindley equalised, so that at half-time both nationalities were on terms of equality. Not long after ends were changed, the Scotchmen made one of those determined charges for which they have been famed in many of the International games, and shoved both goalkeeper and ball through between the posts. No sooner, however, had the leather again been started than Mr. Dewhurst, the crack English forward, sent in a shooter, and once more squared the game. It was now "night or Blucher" for Scotland, and after a grand run between Messrs. Marshall and Allan, which was loudly cheered, even though an enemy did it, the young Queen's Park forward made Scotland one goal up. Till the close the Englishmen had several brilliant sallies on the strangers' goal, but the backs—Messrs. Arnott and Forbes—held their own, and Scotland won by three goals to two. Mr. Macaulay kept goal in fine style, and was the captain of the victorious team. The Englishmen chosen to meet the Scotchmen on the occasion were—Messrs. Roberts, A. M. Walters, P. M. Walters, N. C. Bailey, G. Howarth, J. Forrest, E. C. Bambridge, W. N. Cobbald, J. Lofthouse, F. Dewhurst, and T. Lindley. Besides the six who are mentioned below, Messrs. Arnott, Macaulay, Kelso, J. M'Call, and W. Sellar (who have already been noticed) also appeared against England in the same contest.
J. Forbes (Vale of Leven).
Like certain cricketers who can only cut, and are weak on the leg-side, there are several backs playing for fair medium clubs just now who can only return the ball properly if they have plenty of room to work, but Mr. Forbes, who played in this match along with Mr. Arnott, was none of these. You were, in fact, not five minutes in his company as a spectator at a match before you were captivated with the style and finish of his play. In the excitement of the game you imagined it was "all up with the Vale," when a crowd of opposing forwards were observed getting the ball nearer goal. All the time, however, Forbes was maturing his mode of attack, and like the unsuspecting animal that darts upon its prey, the crack Vale of Leven back dashed in, and you were sure to see the ball flying away down the field, with a magnificent return. While kicking he always got his toes well under the ball, and it was quite a rare thing to see Forbes kicking high into the air. A great favourite with his club and opponents as well, Mr. Forbes first appeared against England in 1884, when Scotland won by one to none, so that in both Internationals in which he took part his team were on the winning side. He is now in business in England.
L. Keir (Dumbarton).
When in the spring of 1887 Mr. Leitch Keir was chosen as companion to Mr. Kelso (Renton), and Mr. Auld (3rd L.R.V.), in this great event at Blackburn, almost everybody had confidence in them as half-backs, and I am happy to say that this confidence was not misplaced, for no better trio ever did duty in an International at that important position in the field. For good, even-down tackling, and hard work, both in heading and clean kicking, Keir was one of the very best men who ever played football. So proficient was he at a "free kick," that when a "hand" was given against the opposing team, in most of the Dumbarton matches, Keir was invariably intrusted with the ball; and when the infringement took place near the goal, the opposing team always dreaded his shot. He was also a very fine dribbler for a half-back, and could run out the ball in fine style from a hotly-pressed goal, and send it spinning down the field. In the succeeding year he was chosen to appear against England on Hampden Park, but, like the rest of the Scottish representatives in that fatal contest, he did not show to the best advantage.
J. Auld (3rd L.R.V.).
During the past four or five years, Mr. Auld has been one of the best half-backs in Scotland, and was a decided success in this contest. No club in Britain has produced a string of better backs and half-backs than the 3rd Lanark Rifle Volunteer Athletic and Football Club. Long ago, many of their most brilliant victories were won by back play alone, and this means preventing their opponents from scoring, and keeping what they had got in the earlier stages of a contest. Among these old and tried hands I must remember poor John Hunter (who is dead), Mr. Alexander Kennedy, who still goes out to see his old club, and delights to give the young ones an advice; Mr. William Somers, the gigantic high-kicker, now in America, and many more, whose names shall long be remembered in football history: but to Mr. Auld. He is yet a brilliant half-back, and while by no means a heavy kicker, one of the most judicious men in front of a hard-pressed goal I have ever seen. He is a terrible tackler, and sometimes hugs an opponent so tenaciously that he forces the ball away and saves his side. The 1887 match was the only one in which he played for Scotland against England, but he appeared that same season against Wales.